'First set of Obama-Singh proposals soon'

CHENNAI: The first set of proposals under the Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative, launched during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to USA in 2009 are expected later this spring, a top US diplomat said.

"The first set of proposals in this exciting joint initiative are currently in the final selection process with awards expected later this spring," US Consul General in Chennai Jennifer A McIntyre said at a function here.

The $10 million programme is co-funded equally by the governments of India and U.S and targets innovative ideas at institutional level in agricultural sciences, food security, energy, sustainable development, climate change, environmental studies, education and educational reform among others.

McIntyre also observed that educating the increasing population of youth was a challenge both in India and U.S.A.

"One of the great challenges facing our two countries is how to educate - and educate well - our growing youth population. India has 12 million Indians enrolled in universities and colleges today," she said.

Listing out US' initiatives with India in education, she said as part of the US-India strategic dialogue, the State Department last October hosted the first Higher Education Summit in Washington, chaired by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal.

Observing India has the largest Fulbright scholar exchange program of any of its partner countries in the world, she said over 17,000 fellowships and other grants had been awarded to Indians and Americans since it commenced.

She later gave away the certificate of ABET (Accrediting Board of Engineering and Technology) accreditation for two engineering courses in Vellore Institute of Technology to its chancellor G Viswanathan.